Talanta, Coast Stima squander chance to go top

FC Talanta and Coast Stima missed the chance to go top of the National Super League (NSL) after losing their respective matches on Monday.

With Fortune Sacco topping the standing on 14 points, after their 1-1 draw against Kenya Police on Saturday, Talanta and Coast Stima, who tied on 13 points, needed to win to go top.

But it was not to be with Coast Stima losing 3-0 to APS Bomet at Bomet Stadium, while Talanta fell 2-1 to hosts Kibera Black Stars at Ligi Ndogo grounds in Nairobi.

At the same time, Mully Children Family battled to a 2-2 draw with Nairobi Stima at Ruaraka grounds in Nairobi. At Ligi Ndogo, Ronald Okello's two first-half strikes helped Kibera to their third win in six matches. Anthony Gichu scored Talanta's consolation goal in the 73rd minute.

"It is an important win for the boys today because they have shown character. Leading by two goals at the break is not easy. We defended well today and we deserved the points," said Kibera's coach Elvis Ayany.

The win was their third in six matches. Talanta's assistant coach Patrick Gatheru, who stood in for the suspended Ken Kenyatta, blamed his side's loss to poori concentration in the first-half. 

"Our concentration in the first-half was not good and that is where we lost it. My players were not sharp enough to respond to their set pieces. There is nothing lost because this is like a marathon, today you are down, tomorrow you are up," he said.

Okello gave Kibera a deserved lead with a superb finish in the 11th minute Coach Ayany's side continued to dominate the encounter and in the 30th minute, Okello again punished the visitors for poor defending to double Kibera's lead with a close range shot.

Sensing defeat, Gatheru sought to improve things on his side ad made three substitutions in the 32nd minute- Fredrick Kentile, Patrick Macharia and Anthony Gichu replacing Eugine Wanjala, Moses Otieno and Paul Odhiambo respectively. 

But Andrew Raza's header, which missed the target moments to the break, is the closest the visitors came to reducing the deficit.

While Talanta returned stronger in the second-half, it is Kibera who had the first best chance in the 53rd minute when Peter Onduso sent a powerful drive from the right, which goalkeeper Bonface Baraza's spilled before his defence cleared the danger.

With the visitors threatening with crosses from the right, the hosts rallied numbers behind to guard their two-goal lead. Talanta's effort paid off in the 78th minute when Gichu collected a pass from Maurice Odipo at the mouth of goal and slotted home easily.

The visitors put up a spirited fight in the remaining minutes of the clash, but could not find a way back into the game and with that, their chance to go top.